Hwacheon County Develops Border Area Dining District... Sannaemyeon Restaurant Menus to Undergo Major Changes

Hwacheon County Holds Tasting and Evaluation Event for New Menu and Processed Food Development
Many Restaurants Participate After Receiving Consulting Support...
New Dishes Likely to Be Added to Actual Menus
Attracting Park Golf Visitors and Military Families in Sannaemyeon
Hopes High for Local Economic Recovery

Restaurants in Sannaemyeon, Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province, are introducing new menu items to attract the increasing number of visitors in recent days.

A tasting and evaluation event for new menu items and processed food products developed with the participation of company cafeteria restaurants was held on the 23rd at the Healing Center in Sannaemyeon. Photo by Hwacheon County

On the 23rd, Hwacheon County held a tasting and evaluation event for new menu items and processed food products at the Hwacheon Healing Center in Sannaemyeon, as part of the "Sannaemyeon Border Area Dining District Development Project."

Since being selected in 2021 for the provincial contest to create a border area dining district, Hwacheon County has been developing signature dishes using local foods, including tomatoes, which are a specialty of Sannaemyeon.

The aim is to revitalize the local economy, which has slowed due to the disbandment of military units in the area.

At the tasting event, representatives from 15 local restaurants participated and unveiled 21 newly developed menu items that had been created with consulting support from a group of experts.

Local restaurants are participating in the border area dining district project to develop competitive menus targeting the increasing number of visitors since the opening of the Sachang-ri Park Golf Course in Sannaemyeon, as well as military personnel and their visitors, and attendees of the Tomato Festival.

The tasting began with appetizers such as tomato popcorn, tomato bread, chamomile apple lemonade, and chamomile mint iced tea.

This was followed by main dishes including tomato handmade sausage, aged kimchi garlic bossam, spicy duck bulgogi, sous vide pork belly, seasoned dried squid gimbap, honey-grilled chicken neck, Sriracha stir-fried sundae, and special soy sauce braised pork bones.

The dessert menu featured mountain vegetable granola cereal, apple rice puff eclair, and apple jelly.

Participants in the tasting event, including County Governor Choi Moonsun, carefully evaluated the new menu items based on taste, appearance, price, and originality.

Hwacheon County plans to hold a second tasting event within the year, during which the expert group will visit each of the 15 participating restaurants.

In addition, the county will produce a Sannaemyeon restaurant guidebook and provide promotional support for each business.

Choi Moonsun, Governor of Hwacheon County, said, "The food tasted much better than expected and was so refined that I believe it will appeal to both tourists and young soldiers. We will not only continue to develop new menu items for local restaurants, but also benchmark famous street foods from Taiwan and other countries to inspire further menu development."